4 Reasons why companies need to speak to the Boomers in the language that will make them buy.

We are living in a time in which, what only a few decades ago would have been thought of as miracles, is now a reality. Science and technology have brought major advances in sanitation, medicine and surgery, pharmacy, communication and media, agriculture and food science. The implications of all these factors are quite evident. We all live longer and most of us; especially in the western world will age, hopefully graciously. As a result, companies need to take a second, serious look at the new demographic of the Baby Boomers. They have to, not only acknowledge their existence, but learn to communicate with them in the manner and in the language that will make them more willing recipients of the companys message. It is almost laughable to see how many companies, marketers and entrepreneurs who want to sell their stuff to Baby Boomers, pay so little attention to the way they communicate with these 50+ men and women. And even those who want to adapt their offer to the Boomers dont quite seem to know how. When I say that Boomer is the language of the Baby Boomers, and that you need to speak Boomer in order to reach this huge market, it is not really as black & white as it may sound. The Boomers language is far more than just the words and phrases you choose to use. Its a mix of the ethos of your company, and the words and expressions, of course, but also the aesthetics and the humour and the sense of purpose of your product or service to them. Thus, content and container have to be there, presented in the right way. Very often all these elements bleed into one another.

Reason 1: Baby Boomers have a mind-set of their own.

Up until 30 or 40 years ago, generally speaking, the 50+ population in society were seen as a group of people financially disadvantaged, set in their frugal ways and uninterested in new products and technology. Now, while younger consumer are struggling to make ends meet -- due to the raised unemployment -- the quantity of mature men and women who are financially well-off have increased phenomenally.

This situation gives to these seniors citizen an incredible decision making power and multiple choices, especially when it comes to making purchase decisions. Its a well-known marketing technique in the Direct Response Marketing Industry -- online and off-line -- the use of fear or lack/scarcity factors as subtle triggers to persuade the recipients of the message to buy. But, Marketers, beware of the powerful, savvy Boomers! They are not going to fall for it, or flock to your shop drooling for your product. Unless you speak to them in Boomer, that is. For example, if your company is selling health & fitness related products aimed to the Boomers market, you are obviously aware that you are talking to a specific age group. That doesnt mean though, that you are going to remind your prospects of their age related issues in a blunt way... saying for example...because you are getting older, or ...if you want to feel young again. Something along those lines will sound extremely disrespectful to a Boomer. It will show a complete lack of understanding of a Boomers mind-set, because Baby Boomers think they will never get old as the Chicago Tribune quoted Myril Axelrod, president of Marketing Directions Associates in New York saying in 2004. Any expression, stated or implied, that remind the Boomers that they are ageing will most definitely leave a sour taste in their mouths, or feel like a slap in their face. What we used to think about middle age is now all being redefined by the Baby Boomers. Everything we use to associate with people in their 50+ to 70+ is considered a misconception for the most part by the Boomers generation. If you really want to reach the Boomers mind-set, understand and embrace this underlying sentiment, and you will be half way there.

Reason 2: Baby Boomers love to buy, but dont like to be sold.

There isnt anything new in the subheading above. Baby Boomers are just as everybody else, people who buy on emotional impulse and then rationalise it to justify their impulse with logic. They have a heightened sense of self respect, though. Baby Boomers are the re-definers of our modern society. They have been doing that for the last four and half decades, and they keep going! So they dont really need to be motivated. They are already very motivated, but they want to feel in charge of the situation. Buying means they are in control, whereas to be sold means they are being manipulated and Boomers are very good at spotting that crucial difference, and they dont like it.

With that awareness in mind, companies who want to sell to this specific demographic need to approach them in a kind, respectful and gentle way, using the Boomers language. This language, as already mentioned, is composed of words, graphics, colours and humour, strategically blended in a way that make the Boomer at ease and with feelings of warmth when reading or listening to what you have to say. Speaking Boomer means you know how to appeal the Boomer by creating a verbal picture that teases the Boomers innermost desires, and reinforcing your message with some graphic elements that somehow touches him with some nostalgia of the years of his youth. But a caveat is in order here. Dont be tempted to follow the trend of some health & fitness companies who try to reach the Boomers by using mild inspirational-aspirational ludicrous messages and images. What I mean here is that many companies targeting the 50+ market are using balmy stockimages of care-free, overly tanned, over fifty couples hoping on exotic beaches, if not amorously gazing at each other. That is, of course a stereotype of what a Boomers life is like. Nothing very wrong with stereotypes, but they are more suited for cartoons, quite frankly. While it is true that age-appropriate images and other visual do evoke memories and serve as emotional mirrors and psychic connections, it is also true that the overdoing of it can have the opposite effect. At best it will make the Boomer to glaze over it and click off your site, at worst it can leave him quite irritated, which means you lost him as a prospect. Marketers who sell to Boomers online need to understand that their message need to be crafted with authenticity and sincerity, something highly valued by the Baby Boomers.

Reason 3: Baby Boomers have a timeline which defines their unique culture.
The implications of this concept are very far reaching in the Boomers psyche. It has cultural and sociologic connotations. It reminds him of who he is. And is one of the main reasons why you should use a Boomer, and not a 30-something years old copywriter to craft your message to the Boomers market. In the Boomer language -- as a mean of creating an empathetic connection, you should sprinkle your copy with words, sounds, images, and historic events that are instantly recognisable to the Baby Boomers. Here I have a few expressions from the top of my head that will sound very familiar to any Baby Boomer, Im sure: "Tranquillity Base...the eagle has landed", or Ruby Kills Lee Harvey Oswald, or I have a dream, or Less Flower. More Power, or Woodstock", and the list goes on and on...

Now, how many young copywriters do you think will be readily familiar with those words which conjure up entire chapters in the Baby Boomers timeline? The collective subconscious of Boomers is indelibly engraved by those experiences which really define who they are. They lived through those events; they made those events. A wise marketer who wants to sell to the Boomers will have to take into account those common experiences the Boomers share, and will inject them into their messages in subtle ways. If they do, then they will be speaking Boomer.

Reason 4: Baby Boomers are Social.

Baby Boomers are not an amorphous bunch of people. It is true that generally speaking Baby Boomers are renowned as people loving natural living, having higher consciousness of themselves and their surroundings, pursuing abundant health, and expressing heightened sensuality in their relationships, all of these with a laid-back comfortable life-style. These are almost in the DNA of a Baby Boomer. But they are all individuals just like you and I. They all have their own peculiar tastes, favourite sounds and smells and the things that they personally cherish with the insatiable desire to connect with their peers and share. Baby Boomers are a very social bunch of people. They love to revisit those experiences, which have become a sort of mythology for some and sharing them with deeper and more complex interpretations. That is why I said in reason number two that when playing those icons and symbols with the wrong tone can lead to misunderstandings and a sense of condescension and disrespect to the Boomers. When you speak Boomer, you need to know the peculiar cultural lexicon of their language. The icons of their time, the colours, fashion, music, entertainment and values are all part of that particular grammar of the Boomer language. The key is to understand it in context, and not to use them in a blatant attempt to manipulate them. Something remarkable about the Boomers is that they are social creatures, having the highest per-capita incomes and many of them with higher education. This combination correlates positively with the Boomers propensity to be not only conversant with the latest technology in computers, iPhones and iPads, but to engage very intensively in Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. This powerful and low-risk search capability of the Internet and Social Media to connect or reconnect with people from the past is something totally new. Getting in touch with former friends and school mates or boyfriends are very powerful motivators indeed, particularly during the mature age of the Baby Boomers. And this makes them a powerful crowd. The old saying that People do business with people they know, like, and trust has taken a new dimension with the advent of the Internet, and now more specifically with Social Media.

Yesterdays nobodies have suddenly become todays somebodies. They can make or break a business reputation just by sharing their experiences in their dealings with that particular company using Social Media. It is then very clear the importance of customer centred content and social engagement in all your online marketing efforts, speaking to the Boomers in the language they can understand and appreciate. Social Media deserves a special interest for marketers that want to sell to this fascinating generation known as Baby Boomers. If you would like to discuss this further and see if I can be of any help in your marketing efforts, please use the contact form and Ill be back to you as soon as possible.